A win to Remember
Another deep dive into old Pioneer lore with sports editor Jeff Simmons about the 2012 volleyball team
Caroline McKinley, who would later be voted Co-District MVP, lifts her hands in triumph after beating Cookeville.
Originally written in 2020
Inevitability seemed to be creeping in. Why was one night in 2012 going to be different than the prior 26 years for the Lady Pioneer volleyball team? Cookeville was on the other side of the net and the scoreboard already had the Lady Cavs up 2-0.
Even 13 years later though, those members of the Class of 2013 can tell you what happened next.
Warren County rallied to win the final three sets, earning the program’s first victory over Cookeville. It was a night of celebration and crying happy tears, one still remembered fondly by the Lady Pioneers who took the court that fateful night in the fall of 2012.
“The win against Cookeville will forever be the highlight of all four years because it was a long time coming,” said Emily Newman, a senior of the 2012 team.
“I remember after the final point turning to my teammates and being so excited,” said Caroline McKinley, who was later named District 6AAA MVP during the 2012 season. “We had six seniors that had played together and meshed so well. We looked into the stands and we had family, friends, teachers, classmates and so many people there to cheer us on. We all had a variety of emotions.”
Megan Dishman, another senior, recalled, “I remember the last play. It is the moment that sticks out the most to me from my time playing volleyball at WCHS. I remember looking at the score knowing we only needed one more point. I remember going up for that block and thinking, ‘This is it.’ I just remember hearing the whistle and turning and hugging my teammates.”
The rest of the senior class in 2012 included Blair Fisher, Karaline Deaton and Kaitlin Lawrence – all starters on the squad. Junior Kelsey Lawrence was one of the few underclassmen to take the court against Cookeville during the historic win.
It wasn’t just the 26 years of futility which made the win so special. It was the rivalry – one which was fierce and contentious. One of the rites of passage to become a Lady Pioneer was disliking Cookeville.
“I remember being introduced to (the rivalry) my freshman year,” said Dishman. “The atmosphere was just different when it came to a game against Cookeville. I wouldn’t say there was a lot of interaction besides the stare downs from across the gym and the under-the-breath comments of McKinley.”
“I am not sure how the rivalry started. I had two older sisters that played sports at Warren County and I just knew we did not like Cookeville and we wanted to beat them,” said McKinley, now Caroline Krantz after getting married in 2019. “I played volleyball and basketball and had to meet up with Cookeville at least four times a year. It was always the goal to beat Cookeville no matter the sport.”
Added fuel came early in the 2012 season, which culminated with the team setting the school record for victories (42). The Lady Pioneers lost an early matchup with Cookeville in a tournament in Chattanooga, then blew a 2-0 lead at Cookeville.
“That game was impossible to forget. We knew we had them, and it was heartbreaking how it unfolded,” said Newman. “We were angry, but we channeled it and when it came time to play them again, the energy in the gym was undeniable. I think that is the most focused and intense I had ever been.”
In the regular-season rematch, the early intensity of the Lady Pioneers backfired. Trying to deliver a knockout blow on every play wasn’t what Warren County so good that season. It took falling behind 2-0 – and a Snickers - to regroup.
“For me, a Snickers bar and Sun Drop changed my game. I usually kept snacks with me because my blood sugar would drop – it happened pretty frequently and I usually kept something on the bench, but that day I didn’t,” recalled McKinley. “You’re not you when you’re hungry is a real thing. I remember someone getting my mom’s attention and saying, ‘she needs a Snickers now.’ I ate my snack and immediately felt better.”
One thing the team didn’t need was a pep talk from legendary coach Franklin Fisher. His job was to keep things calm – something he did well that night.
“We were too excited, but coach called us in and calmed us down. Once we regrouped, we were golden,” said Newman.
Dishman added, “Coach Fisher never said much in our huddles. He would just call a timeout a lot of the time to let us calm down and stare at his clipboard. He probably said something like you guys already know what to do, now just do it.”
Fisher agreed with Dishman’s assessment, particularly when it came to the magic clipboard.
“I just said make it respectable and added we had them in the exact position at their place and they won three straight. I think I told them we could try that,” said Fisher, who retired after the 2012 season – a year which saw his youngest daughter Blair complete her eligibility. “The magic clipboard was a great redirection of focus. It’s still on my desk at work.”
The tone changed immediately in the third set. After Cookeville hammered away at the Lady Pioneers at the net, McKinley flipped the switch when she stoned a Lady Cavalier spike attempt at the net on the first point. She added an emphatic spike two points later, sending a message that Warren County wasn’t laying down.
Cookeville’s coach helped stoke the fire of the Lady Pioneers midway through the set, commenting how Dishman, “won’t hit the ball hard,” after the senior was able to dink a few shots through the Lady Cavalier defense. Dishman responded with a slammed spike that split Cookeville through the seams, pushing her team ahead for good in the third set.
The Lawrence sisters played a big part in keeping the momentum going. Kaitlin finished the third set with a leaning kill and tip block, then Kelsey started the fourth set with a big kill.
Even with Warren County gaining confidence with each point, things got dicey when Cookeville rallied to take a 23-22 lead late in the fourth set. Two points away from another heartbreaking loss, McKinley came up with a kill and a block to push the Lady Pioneers back ahead 24-23.
Newman stepped to the line after a timeout and ended the game with one swing, firing a serve which Cookeville couldn’t handle to set up a do-or-die fifth set.
Newman kept the hot hand serving in the final set, notching four aces during a six-point Lady Pioneer stretch to push Warren County to the brink of history. She was back at the line at the end, blasting a final serve before watching Dishman push back a spike attempt that sunk Cookeville.
“Being able to serve for so long against them was incredible. It was the best feeling to know they were scrambling because of you,” said Newman.
Happy tears filled the gym, with the senior class sharing hugs with each other before their families stormed the court. One of the enduring memories of the match was coach Fisher, his daughter Blair – still in uniform from the victory – and his wife Leanne embracing for a group hug.
“Team within a team, family within a family – that has to happen for real success to happen. There isn’t one coach or one player (making it happen). That’s why I borrowed our breakdown from a group that exemplified that to me: Semper Fi, Always Faithful,” said Fisher.
Going through the battles with Cookeville bonded the Class of 2013 seniors forever. The relationships started at a young age, but it was sealed that the group would always be tied together the moment Cookeville’s dominance ended in Charlie Dalton Gym.
“It was the season of our lives, mixed with failure and triumph. It prepared us for life after school,” said McKinley. “Even though I don’t see these teammates often since moving away from McMinnville, we still cheer each other on. I continue to follow them through social media, and I run into my teammates on visits home.”
Dishman added, “That moment was untouchable and still is to me now. I get emotional just thinking about that game because it was what every single one of us had worked for our entire high school career. It made all the stadium runs worth it. When I look back on the game, I am still flooded with a sense of pride and joy – I think we are all bonded forever over what we were able to accomplish.”
Now over a decade removed from the game of their lives, Fisher, Deaton, Lawrence, Dishman, McKinley and Newman have settled down across the Southeast. Priorities changed - jobs and families come first now. Running stadium steps are a thing of the past, as are daily bump-set-spike drills.
But if there is ever a reunion, don’t put up a net and expect rust.
“I’m sure if you got us all in a gym with a net up, we would feel right at home,” said Dishman.
To ensure it, just put Cookeville on the other side.
